Alec Baldwin says ‘Rust’ will forever be overshadowed by the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, affecting not just the film but everyone connected to it, including his own family.
Baldwin, portraying the character Harland Rust in the Western film directed by Joel Souza, previously faced involuntary manslaughter charges related to Hutchins’ on-set shooting. Reflecting on these painful events, Baldwin admitted, “This is obviously the most difficult thing I’ve ever dealt with in my life.” While in Turin for the Torino Film Festival, he chose to skip the movie’s premiere at the Camerimage Festival in Poland just days prior.
Baldwin expressed that the aftermath of Hutchins’ death has caused immeasurable pain in his family, particularly affecting his wife, Hilaria Baldwin. “Beyond the victims themselves, the thing that most pains me is what it did to my wife,” he said. Married for over a decade and parents to seven children, the couple plans to introduce their family dynamics through a reality show slated to air in 2025 on the TLC network.
“My wife has been very, very traumatized from this. There has been a lot of pain. When you are married to somebody and everything was going fairly well, and we had seven kids … and the floor falls out. It’s very frightening and very disturbing.”
“Beyond the victims themselves, the thing that most pains me is what it did to my wife. My wife has been very, very traumatized from this. There has been a lot of pain.”
Expressing his desire to move forward, Baldwin said, “And we are trying to get the wind in our sails, to get away from this stuff. Because the film doesn’t stand by itself. It’s always going to be overshadowed by this.”
As Baldwin navigated the charges against him, he revealed the toll completing the film took on his physical and emotional health. “In order to finish the film – and this is the only thing I can say about it because I have another pending [civil] case – we traveled to Montana,” he recounted, explaining that most doctors advised against his involvement. “I mean, I was very sick afterwards for a while, physically drained and ill. But I went.”
Despite these challenges, Baldwin claimed he “waived” his fee while finishing production in Montana.
“I gave them back the fee in the budget. I waived all my backend,” Baldwin stated, noting that he ensured financial support for Hutchins’ family. “I gave everything to her husband. He owns the film… Everything was done with that in mind.”
Still facing a civil lawsuit, Baldwin’s legal team filed to pause the proceedings shortly before the movie’s premiere in Poland. The lawsuit, led by attorney Gloria Allred on behalf of Hutchins’ family, includes allegations of emotional distress and battery.
Despite the ongoing struggle, Baldwin remains cautiously optimistic about the film’s future. “I hope the film is released, that it comes out, that it makes its money back for its investors,” he articulated, standing firm against accusations that he was profiting from the tragedy. “You never want these people who believed in your project to be left high and dry.”
In contemplating the profound impact of such a tragedy, Baldwin faces a significant challenge: balancing his aspirations as an actor with the weight of a heart-wrenching past that continues to redefine his narrative. As the specter of Hutchins’ death looms large, the journey ahead remains fraught both with potential and peril.
